


press me to your heart

by worth_the_risk



Series: I For You [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-08-30 17:05:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8541493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worth_the_risk/pseuds/worth_the_risk
Summary: This picks up right at the end of Chapter 6 of "these hands are meant to hold."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up right at the end of Chapter 6 of "these hands are meant to hold."

“I'm looking for the Zimmermann family?”

Jack spun to face the voice. The entirety of the waiting room stood up save the one older woman who’d been sitting in the corner looking appalled at the rowdy group around her.

“Specifically the parents,” she laughed, and they all sat, save the two she was here for.

Jack wove his fingers through Eric’s and nearly pulled the tangle of yarn he’d been trying to free himself from with them, impatient. He waved as they crossed the room.

“That's us.” Eric’s hand was uncomfortably tight around Jack’s but he couldn’t seem to care.

Shitty hovered as close to the two of them and the doctor as he thought he could get away with without being chastised.

“Well, I'm certain you'll be pleased to hear that Ruth and your daughter are both doing phenomenally–”

“Daughter?” Eric’s eyes, already damp all day, spilled over when he looked up at Jack.

Shitty crowed triumphantly over the din of congratulations they all started making in the background and slapped both of their asses before going to hug Bob and Alicia.

“Yes, at 2:34 PM you two became the parents of a healthy baby girl. Are you ready to meet her?”

While Eric gave a very emotional ‘yes ma’am,’ Jack, about to vibrate out of his skin, could only nod and then proceeded to take obscenely long strides past the doctor to the door that led back into the wing she’d come from.

“Darlin’–”

“Nope. I'll carry you both if I need to.”

The doctor laughed with the rest of the room as she swiped her clearance card and opened the door. After a brisk walk down three hallways, the doctor slowed. “They're in 304, right there. I'll be out here with all the fun paperwork once you're all acquainted.”

Jack wrapped Eric up in an almost too-tight hug and kissed him, forceful and needy and brief. “You ready?”

“I've been ready, you big lug, open the door,” Eric managed to get out through his tears, smacking his hands against Jack’s chest.

“Yes, sir.” Jack smiled and pressed one more kiss to his husband’s forehead before letting him go to open the door.

***

Ruth’s peachy hair was piled up in a disastrously messy knot on top of her head. She looked worn out, but very pleased with herself. A little bundle of blankets was resting against her chest and she stopped cooing down at it to look up at the two new people in the room.

“Hi, dads.” She grinned and raised her eyebrows. “I believe I have something of yours.”

“Ohmygod ohmygod, Ruth, you're superwoman. How aren't you dead asleep?” Eric rushed to the bed and kissed their surrogate’s cheek before looking down at the baby in her arms and clutching his chest.

“Adrenaline,” she sang quietly, passing the newborn up into her dad’s arms.

“Jack.” His voice was shaking.

“Right here, love.” He hugged Eric from behind, carefully tucking his arms under his husband’s and peeking over his shoulder at the very cranky looking baby staring right back at him.

Giggling through his tears, Eric turned his head to kiss Jack’s cheek. “She's so mad, I can't stand it.”

Jack hardly heard him. He was deeply invested in the most important staring contest he'd ever had until she yawned and conceded defeat. Thick black lashes fluttered for a moment before she was soundly asleep.

“She looks like you do when you wake up earlier than you want to,” Jack teased, kissing Eric's shoulder.

“Are you seriously chirping me right now? You lose holding privileges for five minutes.” Eric turned his body away from Jack and grinned. The sincerity of the sadness that his teasing put on his husband’s face melted his resolve like ice in a broiler. “Do you want to sit or stand?”

“I'm standing now, eh?” He smiled. “Please?” Eric handed her up and Jack was immediately done for. He cupped her head in one hand and held her out from him so he could wrap his head around her size.

“She's so small,” he whispered, tucking her against his chest. His eyes burned.

“I know, honey.” Eric stood on tiptoe to kiss Jack and peek at her face again. He pursed his lips up at his husband, trying and failing to look severe. “If you sit we can both see her.”

Jack moved to the armchair in the corner and sat down slowly as not to jostle her. “Bits, look at all the hair she's got already.” He ruffled his fingertips against the dark curls sticking up from her forehead.

“That would be your doing,” Eric said, smiling.

Ruth yawned across the room, making a little sleepy noise. “If you two don't mind, I'm gonna call the nurse so I can get moved to my private room for the night and pass the hell out while the team piles in here.”

“Would you please make sure we know what room you're moved to so we can come see you later tonight?” He hesitantly meandered back across the room towards her, fighting an invisible bungee cord, and sat even with her hip on the bed.

“Of course, Eric.” She smiled at him, exhausted but happy.

He wrapped her in a hug and tucked his face into her neck. “Thank you _so_ much. She's beautiful and perfect and we wouldn't have her if not for you.”

“It's been a privilege and you both have been a dream. I love all three of you.” She yawned again, blindly dragging her hand up the bed rail until she found and pressed the call button.

“We love you, too.”

***

After the door swung shut behind Ruth and the on-call nurse, Eric sat on the arm of the chair and kissed Jack’s hair. “You ready to talk names now?”

He nodded, carefully extricating one of her hands from the cocoon of fabric containing her. “You want to go first, or me?” He gasped softly. After he’d freed her hand, she’d immediately wrapped her tiny fingers around his thumb. “Eric, look.”

“I see.” He sniffled, then cleared his throat. “If we keep getting distracted, she’ll be eighteen before we know it and they won't know what to put on her diploma.”

Jack laughed and tilted his chin up toward Eric. “You're right.” Eric leaned down and gave him the kiss he was looking for. “So, fire away. You first.”

“I'm very fond of Amèlie. Or Amelia, either one.”

“You would pick a French name,” Jack teased, still barely moving. This tiny hand-holding thing was compelling.

“I picked one that I loved in both French and English,” Eric murmured into Jack’s hair. “Because _reasons._ ”

He smiled. “You're sweet.” He was quiet for a long moment, just moving her hand in little circles. “The A name I picked was Aimee, but I like Amèlie much better.”

“Which S name did you settle on?”

“I really like Skylar, it just sounds crisp and clear. And you?”

“Sophie.” Eric wrinkled his nose. “I don't want both names to end in an ‘e’ sound, though.” He gingerly brushed her curls back from her face. “Amèlie Skylar Zimmermann. I can stand by that. Can you?”

Jack pulled her up to his face so he could kiss her forehead. “Bonjour, Amèlie.”

“Oh my God, this is actually happening. Our daughter - _our daughter_ \- Jesus, I'm going to go get the doctor so we can do our paperwork and sign her birth certificate.” He leaned down and kissed Amèlie’s nose, then pressed his lips to Jack’s. “I love you.”

“Mm, I love you, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A whole week old,” Eric murmured.
> 
> “Fifty-one more of those and we get to have a party, don’t we?”

Eric sat on the floor in front of the crib, forehead pressed to the mahogany spindles, watching her chest rise and fall as she slept. He’d sat in this position so many times over the years, watching pies and muffins and souffles fill out, first his mother’s and grandmother’s and then his own. Shivering, he pulled the blanket he’d dragged with him from the living room closer around himself. The wood floor was chilly against his bare legs.

The front door opened and closed; Jack’s soft voice called out for him. Not wanting to wake her, he decided against answering. He’d find him. 

As he expected, the door opened wider behind him. “Hey, Bits.” Jack crossed the room and folded himself down onto the floor next to his husband.

“How was your run, honey?” Eric breathed, blindly finding Jack’s hand and weaving their fingers together.

“It was good. I feel a lot better now.” Jack had been up most of the night between feeding Amèlie and coaxing her back to sleep and then dealing with an anxiety attack. 

He slipped his arm through the slats and took her foot between his thumb and forefinger, gently rolling the pads of his fingers over the delicate ball of her foot. “How long have you been watching her?”

“Since you left,” Eric murmured. He watched the play of the light off of Jack’s wedding band as he continued to rub her foot. “I still can't believe she's real.”

“Me either.” He rested his head on Eric's shoulder, pressing his lips to the seam of his shirt. 

Amélie stirred, her fists clenching and unclenching. Her little eyes fluttered open, still just as muted blue as they’d been seven days before. 

“A whole week old,” Eric murmured.

“Fifty-one more of those and we get to have a party, don’t we?” Jack said, wiggling her foot back and forth. She giggled sleepily and kicked into his hand. “I’m gonna shower.” He heaved himself up off the floor and leaned over the side of the crib to kiss her forehead. 

“Alright,” Eric answered, voice distracted. She was looking right at him. He leaned closer, pressing his face against the spindles, and smiled softly at her. “Morning, darlin’.” His breath caught when she grinned back and cooed. “Yeah, hi there.” Yawning, she lifted her fists to her face, hands falling onto the mattress and relaxing as she fell back to sleep. 

“That lasted.” Jack chuckled from the door.

“You both had a big night,” Eric murmured, pushing himself and the quilt up off the floor. “Let her live, Mr. Zimmermann.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At approximately 4:17 AM, the monitor lit up and Amèlie’s still-sleepy wail woke her fathers.

At approximately 4:17 AM, the monitor lit up and Amèlie’s still-sleepy wail woke her fathers. 

“I'll get her.”

“Bits, you got her last time, I can-” 

“You have morning skate in a few hours and the bakery is closed tomorrow.” Eric rolled over and kissed Jack, smiling at the slow reflexive reaction of his dozing husband’s lips to his. “Sleep, handsome man.”

“Mhm. Love you.” Jack scooted over into the warm space Eric left behind and snuggled his face into his pillow. 

“Love you more.”

The hardwood in the hallway was cold under his feet. He hurried down to the open door and ducked inside, crossing to the crib and lifting his exhausted daughter up against his chest. Her crying softened but she didn't stop. 

“Hmm, what's going on, little miss? You don't need changed, and you don't get your next bottle until seven.”

The oak tree outside groaned in the wind, the shadows from the branches dancing over Eric and Amèlie, their outline the only unmoving thing on the wall behind them for a long moment. She screeched again and buried her face in her daddy’s neck. 

“Oh, it’s just the tree being spooky, lil’ bit. Nothing to be afraid of. Just the wind and the -” Thunder shook the window and Amèlie gasped and fell quiet for a moment before crying again. 

The door opened a little more widely and Jack stepped in, yawning and wrapped in his robe. “Gonna be storming until noon. You might as well just bring her back to bed with us.” He kissed Eric’s forehead and the top of her head, leaving his face there and breathing her in. 

“I swear she's a better meteorologist than the one on channel five,” he huffed. Jack’s quiet laugh was barely audible over Amèlie’s snuffles. “Will you go get the pillows situated? I'm going to get her blanket and Bun.”

“I've got it, you just bring her to bed.” 

“This is why I married you.”

“Not the money?” Jack smiled cheekily while he fished the patched rabbit out of the crib. 

“Okay, the money and this.” Eric sleepily followed his husband back up the hall, not quite registering the cold against his feet this time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric set his keys down and followed the quiet sounds of snoring into their living room.

Their front door had never looked so menacing. He took a deep breath and braced himself for the onslaught of upset baby. Jack hadn't answered him when he texted to let him know he was on his way home and, the last time that had happened, Amèlie was going berserk over something neither of them could figure out. He slid his key in as noiselessly as he could and eased the door open to - complete silence.

“Jack?” A rough, sleepy sound was his only reply. “Oh, thank goodness.” Eric set his keys down and followed the quiet sounds of snoring into their living room.

Eric pressed his palm to his cheek and smiled. Jack was curled into a knot facing the back of the couch. Amèlie was cradled against his chest, between his chin and knees, a snuffling bundle of purple pajamas. Her little hands were gathered into one of his and his lips were pressed into her dark curls.

Tiptoeing to the edge of the couch, he knelt down and tucked his face into the crook of Jack’s shoulder and neck.

“Mm,” Jack sighed. “N’amour, hi.”

“When you texted me ‘we are about to go down for a nap’ I didn't think you actually meant both of you,” Eric intoned, leaning up and forward to kiss his soundly sleeping daughter. Jack tilted his chin up, catching his husband’s cheeky grin.

“She wore me out, what can I say?”

Eric nodded sagely. “I never thought someone so immobile could be so exhausting.” Amèlie stirred, kicking her feet. Jack slid an arm beneath her and carefully sat up, tucking her face into his neck.

“And this nap-mate doesn't steal the comforter.” Jack imitated Eric’s shocked expression for a moment before he bit his lip and tried not giggle.

“Okay, rude, honey.” Eric smiled and leaned down to undo the laces on his boots.

“How was work?”

“Good, surprisingly. It’s still slow, everyone out of town on vacation and all. Did Barton ever call you back?”

“Mhm.” He shifted to lean into the corner of the couch, pressing a pair of kisses to Amèlie’s cheek. “He said I was fine to stay on leave until September first as long as I keep up my workouts and show up to at least one optional skate per week.”

Eric nodded. “That's more than doable.”

“I told him I'd be by as often as we could manage and he said he appreciated it.”

“Amèlie and I can make an appearance at morning skate sometime in October, probably. I can get Dex to manage the bakery for a few hours.” Eric kicked off his boots and scooted back into the couch, leaning against his husband. Amèlie stretched, hitting her fist against her papa’s jaw.

“Oh, I'm being accosted!” Jack smiled and tilted her forward, nuzzling her belly with his nose. “I don't know love, can't we just keep her to ourselves for a while longer?” Eric’s heart stuttered at the sight of his husband peeking up at him through his bangs with his face tucked against their daughter.

“Well, we definitely need to teach her not to punch in the face first.”

“Bits. She’ll be at a _hockey practice._ ” Jack quirked an eyebrow up. “We need to teach her to punch harder.”


End file.
